Lederhosen Lucil
Hosemusik (independent)
 The
freakiest Fraülein in town lays another stone in the Autobahn to
her incipient superstardom. Ostensibly a GMO über-cutie from some
Bavarian Brigadoon, the krypto-kraut mythology, Trachenhute, accent
and all, evaporates once she actually has to concentrate on a tune—and
tunes she’s got. Rocking as many styles as there are function buttons
on her cheezy Yamaha keyboard (waltz, polka, ska, C&W, metal, whatever),
Lucil’s obnoxiously adorable as she waxes whimsical about scabs,
vomit, acne and automatic weapons. With a disarming voice, deranged
lyrics and tinny synth-schmaltz to spare, she’s a unique and original
character, which is why rude boys and roughneck punks, art fags and
indie nerds all raise their Steins in approval when she skips so damn
gaily onto the stage. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch at le Swimming,
Thurs., April 25, 9pm
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Plastic Fang (Matador/Fusion III)
It’s back, and it’s back to basics for Spencer and friends,
with all the “Blues Explosion!,” “New Yawk City!”
and “Git down!” that we know and love. But, after a decade,
Spencer’s spastic Elvis thang doesn’t quite pack the same
punch, partly due to same-old, same-old, partly due to producer Steve
Jordan (past work: Blues Brothers, SNL, Keith Richards…?). The
gritty passion comes to the surface on classic JSBX tracks like “She
Said” and “Down in the Beast,” and guests Dr. John and
Funkadelic’s Bernie Worrell up the ante but, overall, this shark
has stopped moving. Have mercy. 6.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
The Promise
Ring Wood/Water (Anti/Sonic Unyon)
This time around the Promise Ring really capitalize on the sound they
helped create. Wood/Water shows emo all grown up while laying down some
serious saccharine-enriched pop. If you can get beyond the embarrassingly
sentimental lyrics, there are some half-decent ditties here, but sadly
the search hardly seems worth the effort. The production skill (Stephen
Street) is far beyond most independent stuff but gets a little overwhelming
and in the way. It’s nice to see the band grow in different directions,
but looking for danger under the umbrella of predictable pop might not
have been the right way to go. Okay, guys, you made your Rumors record,
so let’s go back to the direction of your last effort, Very Emergency.
6/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Alabama Thunderpussy
Staring at the Divine (Relapse)
The Thunderpussies are raising the standard of Southern-fried, boogie-fuelled
stoner rock. Looking like extras from Deliverance, these Virginian rednecks
let the music do the talking and they say it loud. King of heavy Billy
Anderson (Melvins, Acid King) is at the production board and delivers
the crushing blow this band deserves. Songs like “Motor-Ready”
and “Hunting by Echo” hit like a fistful of nickels but still
have melody to spare and will have you coming back for repeat listens.
If you like that last Down record and wouldn’t mind your Raging
Slab and Skynryd a little heavier, then look no further. 8/10 (Johnson
Cummins)
Neil Halstead
Sleeping on Roads (4AD/Select)
The debut disc by this Mojave 3 frontman and Slowdive founder is a lovely
exercise in folk-pop, a gentle, emotive undertaking in the much-explored
but ever-worthy Nick Drake tradition. A rich but controlled concoction
of acoustic guitar, trumpet, banjo, cello, glockenspiel and keys leave
room for Halstead’s folky cooing, certainly the aural equivalent
of a warm blanket. Above all, these nine dreamy ditties are each quality
cuts, including the mid-album, semi-epic “See You on Rooftops,”
a denser, more effected display of Halstead’s melodious expertise.
8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) At Petit Campus, Sun., April 21, 9pm,
$15
Various Disco
Not Disco 2
(Strut/Fusion III)
 This
second comp of “leftfield disco classics from the New York underground”
balances the more rockist, live-jam flavour of the first with a decided
proto-electro bent. Note now that these comps have at best a tangential
connection to tits ’n’ glitz of Studio 54, focusing on the
weirder offshoots from the dawn of DJ culture (late ’70s, early
’80s), before the rules and subdivisions had congealed. Opening
on Laid Back’s ridiculous klassik “White Horse” (“If
you wanna riiiide…”) and closing on “This is Radio Clash,”
we’re treated to dusty disco mixes of early Yello, Can, Alexander
Robotnick, Lex and Eddy Grant in his one-man Coach House Rhythm Section
guise. Alternately brilliant and embarrassing. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Mass Influence
“Nonsense/Backstreet Groove” 12” (UGS)
As the reigning kings of Atlanta’s “other” underground
sound, Mass Influence are probably one of the few crews in Atlanta that
aren’t known for bump ’n’ bounce. MCs Von and Tone haven’t
built their flows on Southern drawl, or the dirty South, but on boom-bap
through and through. “Nonsense…” finds Tone rapping on
some playful bullshit on a nice beat, inspired by a wack MC who had
a whole album of nothing to say. Von gets open on the “Groove,”
recalling what it feels like to actually have fun in this hip hop game.
You do remember how to have fun, right? I thought so. 7.5/10 (Scott
C)
Medeski Martin
& Wood Uninvisible (Blue Note/EMI)
 The
mighty MMW, one of the foremost forces in jazz-hop, psych-funk and jam-band-land,
return with another winner. In-studio improvs lay the groundwork for
the convoluted yet firmly grounded meanderings of the trio (organ, bass,
drums) and their cohorts. On that note, there’s some eerie spoken
word from this Col. Bruce Hampton character, and odder yet, half-noises
c/o the lugubrious pipes of Crash Test Dummy Brad Roberts. DJs P Love
and Olive scratch and itch or two and the Antibalas horns pipe up twice,
notably on the centrepiece, “Nocturnal Transmission.” Midnight
mystery grooves reign throughout as the lads got to work with astounding
skill and reckless confidence. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Luke Slater
Alright on Top (Mute/Fusion III)
This album wouldn’t actually be half bad if the lyrics weren’t
a collection of the nine worst high school poems of all time. Remember
the 1991 film Oscar starring Sylvester Stallone? No? That’s because
it sucked. The whole time you expected Sly to just cut the comedy of
errors crap and start kicking ass, but sadly, that never happened. What
is it that makes an artist want to change direction? Boredom? A fear
of being predictable? Either way, some formulas shouldn’t be messed
with. “Sly Stallone” should equal “kicking ass”
and “Luke Slater” should equal “brooding funky techno,”
not “cheesy vocals overshadowing half-decent beats.” Finger
of shame, Luke Slater. Finger of shame. 4/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Ben Wyatt &
Jay Hannan
Lazy Dog Vol. 2 (Astralwerks/EMI)
Those two blokes are back with a second roundup of their sweaty and
swanky punt sessions in West London. This Dog has a well-balanced attack
of silky R&B, vocal house and deep, Latinized kickers. Ben’s
set is launched with one of the crucial anthems of last year, Jon Cutler
& E-Man’s “It’s Yours,” and includes his take
on Sade’s “By Your Side” and a great mix of Lucy Pearl’s
“Without You.” Jay picks up where Ben left off with his own
potent stream of diva soul in Andy Caldwell’s “I Can’t
Wait” and Kim English’s “Been So Long” while Nova
Fronteira’s “Supernova” adds a little sex on the beach.
Without a doubt, a healthy upgrade to the first one. 8.5/10 (Peter
Lightburn)
Glen Lewis
World Outside My Window (Sony)
Glen Lewis’s sound is at times a dead ringer for Stevie Wonder,
even down to his vocal phrasing and use of instrumentation. But whereas
Wonder liberally laced his music with social commentary, this Canadian
sticks mainly to affairs of the heart. At times it’s banal, but
there are moments when the disc does live up to the promise of brilliant
lead single “Don’t You Forget.” The touching “Something
to See,” one of the tracks where Lewis sounds the most distinctive,
and the uptempo “One More Day,” give hope that Lewis is more
than just another pretty voice. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Kirk Franklin
The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin (Gospo Centric)
Post-9/11 influences continue to resonate in the music industry, leading
to some of the most creative, poignant artistry yet. Case in point,
Kirk Franklin, who’s been on the leading edge of contemporary gospel
since his debut, offers his strongest effort to date. Cloaked in layers
of insecurity, anger and hope, he takes his spiritual message to new
heights, driving tracks like “Hosanna,” and “He Reigns”
straight up the mountaintop. To be sure, Franklin is still very much
the director, surrounding himself with the best voices in the business.
But ultimately it’s Franklin’s vision that make tracks like
“911” (a musical conversation between Franklin and Bishop
T.D. Jakes) and “The Blood Song,” which breaks humanity down
to its most common denominator, music for the ages. 9/10 (Gerard
Dee)
Jab Jab Jump
Up and Jam
(independent)
One part Trinidadian and two parts Grenadian, this Montreal-based trio
ditch the specifics for a pan-Caribbean mix-up that won’t sit still.
Soca is the foundation here, but drummer Wayne Stoute and the brothers
Whiteman, on guitar and bass, wander fearlessly around the islands and
beyond. Compas, reggae, zouk and American pop all colour their clever,
energetic tunes at one point or another—no surprise that they’ll
be backing up a wide variety of talent at the Gala du Monde this Friday.
The band’s name is a reference to the mischievous devil figures
(diable, see?) familiar to island carnivals, but you can take it as
an invitation to a hell of a good time. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
At Gala du Monde at Medley, Fri., April 19
Claire Daly
Movin’ On (Koch)
Dave Riekenberg Never Too Late (NY Jam)
The names may not be the most familiar but the playing is of the first
rank, Ms. Daly, a baritone saxophonist, makes her vocal debut on a pair
of the baker’s dozen contained on this her second CD as leader.
Quickly becoming a voice to be reckoned with on the big horn, Claire
is heard here on a nice mix of standards and jazz pieces like “Bye-Ya”
and “Goodbye Porkpie Hat.” Another fine musician, trumpeter
James Zollar, guests on a pair. Riekenberg, whose performance with John
Nugent here at Club 2080 about 12 years ago was a memorable one, makes
an overdue debut as a leader with an excellent quartet outing on Nugent’s
label. Rollins’ “Why Don’t I” and Mr. B’s “I
Want to Talk About You” are among the many highlights here. Both
9/10 (Len Dobbin)
|
